Tennessee Paycheck Calculator
Using 2026 federal and Tennessee tax figures · last checked
Short answer
A $60,000 salary in Tennessee takes home about $50,390 a year — roughly $4,199 a month — after $5,020 federal income tax and $4,590 in Social Security and Medicare. Tennessee levies no state income tax on wages. That is an effective rate of 16.0%. Figures assume a single filer taking the standard deduction, with no pre-tax deductions.
Whether you are weighing an offer, checking a stub that looks wrong, or budgeting against a raise, the useful number is net rather than gross. For Tennessee that means federal tax and FICA only — the state adds nothing to the deduction side.
Before any deductions.
Estimated take-home pay
$1,690.85
- Gross pay
- $2,000.00
- Federal income tax
- −$156.15
- Social Security
- −$124.00
- Medicare
- −$29.00
- Total withheld
- −$309.15
Figures on this page are estimates produced from the inputs you provide. A pay stub you generate documents what you enter; it is not a verified employment record issued by an employer. If you need official proof of income, request it from your employer or download your wage transcript free from the IRS.
No Tennessee state income tax
Tennessee is one of the states that does not tax wage income. Practically, that means the gap between your gross and your net is federal income tax plus FICA, and nothing else.
What comes out of every paycheck
The FICA pair is fixed by federal law rather than by Tennessee. Social Security withholds 6.2% until annual wages reach $184,500, after which it stops for the rest of the year — which is why some people see their net pay rise late in the year. Medicare withholds 1.45% throughout, plus 0.9% on anything over $200,000.
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages or salary. The old "Hall Tax" on interest and dividends was phased out completely in 2021. Tennessee workers keep every dollar of their earnings after federal tax and FICA.
Tennessee: Zero Income Tax Since 2021
Tennessee eliminated its last remaining income tax — the "Hall Tax" on interest and dividends — as of January 2021. The state now has absolutely zero income tax on any type of income. Your paycheck only has federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare deducted. For a Nashville worker earning $65,000, the zero state tax means roughly $2,500–$4,000 more per year compared to working in Georgia (5.49%), Alabama (5%), or North Carolina (4.75%). Tennessee funds itself through a 7% state sales tax — one of the highest in the nation — plus local additions that push the combined rate to 9.75% in some areas.
Nashville's Booming Economy
Nashville is one of the fastest-growing cities in America. Healthcare (HCA Healthcare, Community Health Systems, Vanderbilt), entertainment/tourism, and a surging tech sector have created a red-hot job market. Amazon chose Nashville for a major operations hub. AllianceBernstein relocated its headquarters from New York. The influx of corporate relocations is directly tied to the zero income tax. Memphis anchors western Tennessee with FedEx and logistics. Chattanooga and Knoxville offer lower cost of living. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 applies, but actual starting wages in Nashville run $14–$18+ due to competition. The biggest budget concern for Tennessee residents is the high combined sales tax rate on purchases.
Take-home pay at common salaries in Tennessee
Here is the whole curve for Tennessee rather than a single point. Effective tax moves from 14.2% to 22.3% as gross rises, because only the income above each threshold is charged at the higher rate.
Hourly rates in Tennessee
Common rates, run through the same Tennessee calculation. At $20 an hour and full-time hours, annual take-home lands near $35,606. Overtime and unpaid weeks will move it.
| Hourly | Annual gross | Annual take-home | Net per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15/hr | $31,200 | $27,249 | $13.10 |
| $17/hr | $35,360 | $30,592 | $14.71 |
| $20/hr | $41,600 | $35,606 | $17.12 |
| $25/hr | $52,000 | $43,962 | $21.14 |
| $30/hr | $62,400 | $52,318 | $25.15 |
| $50/hr | $104,000 | $81,994 | $39.42 |
Based on 2,080 hours a year — 40 hours a week, 52 weeks. Excludes overtime and unpaid leave.
How filing status changes it
Filing status changes the answer more than most people expect. The same $60,000 produces different take-home depending on how you file, because each status carries its own standard deduction and its own bracket thresholds. Here the spread runs to $2,180, with Married filing jointly keeping the most.
| Filing status | Federal tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|
| Single | $5,020 | $50,390 |
| Married filing jointly | $2,840 | $52,570 |
| Married filing separately | $5,020 | $50,390 |
| Head of household | $3,948 | $51,462 |
On a $60,000 salary in Tennessee.
How accurate is this estimate?
The number this produces is the tax arithmetic and nothing else. Real stubs carry more: employer benefit deductions, retirement contributions, and any adjustment your W-4 requests. Each of those moves the total, so use this to sanity-check the shape of a stub rather than to match it to the cent.
Tennessee paycheck questions
When did Tennessee eliminate its income tax?
Tennessee fully eliminated the Hall Tax (its only income tax, which applied to interest and dividends) as of January 1, 2021. The state has never taxed wages or salary.
Does Tennessee have high sales taxes?
Yes. Tennessee's 7% state sales tax is among the highest in the nation. Combined with local additions, rates can reach 9.75%. Groceries are taxed at a reduced rate of 4%.
How pay frequency changes your cheque
Being paid weekly rather than monthly does not change what you owe. The same salary attracts the same annual tax; only the size of each cheque and the spread of the withholding move. Here is $60,000 a year in Tennessee, filing single, at each schedule.
| Paid | Cheques/yr | Gross each | Take-home each |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | $1,154 | $969 |
| Every two weeks | 26 | $2,308 | $1,938 |
| Twice a month | 24 | $2,500 | $2,100 |
| Monthly | 12 | $5,000 | $4,199 |
Turn this into a pay stub
Once the numbers look right, the generator will lay them out as a pay stub you can save. Worth repeating what such a document is and is not — it records what you entered, and it does not stand in for an employer-issued record where one is genuinely required.
Open the pay stub generatorIf you need official proof of income
Before generating anything, try the official sources — they are free. Employers are obliged to keep payroll records and can usually reprint stubs, and the IRS issues wage and income transcripts at no charge. A third party can confirm both, which is the point of asking. Get an IRS transcript.